It's Not Wrong
by NeoMiniTails
Summary: "Everyone Wears A Mask" and "Eyes Don't Lie" side-story. Sailor Mars made a promise years ago to her princess that she would always protect her, letting love go in the process. Caring for Conner Kent was never the problem, Rei Hino knew that. Sometimes, Rei just wished that she could stop caring.


**Author's Note: **_ In 'Everyone Wears A Mask' and 'Eyes Don't Lie,' there are a lot of Rei and Connor hints but hardly any scenes with them together. In this one-shot side-story, we get to see the other half of the love triangle: Sailor Mars/Superboy._

_Please read and review!_

_Enjoy!_

**Dedication:** _MissScorp and SoulsAndSwords._

_SAS, hope you have a quick recovery! Hopefully, this story can cheer you up._

Caring for Connor was never the issue.

Wanting him close and desiring his body next to hers, even when he was far away, was clearly the underlying issue. Rei understood that even without anyone telling it to her. Tonight would be the third night this week where he'd fallen asleep on her couch with her beside him.

She'd love to complain that they were too close and how it annoyed her that whenever she moved to get away, his muscles would bunch up and he'd simply hold her tigher. In that moment, his scent, an intoxicating blend of whatever cologne he favored and an earthy one she couldn't quite define would become so clear that it would awaken her every sense and electrify them.

Yes, she'd love to complain about those things and actually mean it. Still, the moment she took comfort in his muscular arms, he'd awaken and the complaints would begin. It didn't matter that his smirk made her lose her train of thought and when he'd lift her onto a chair so they'd be eye-to-eye, she'd lose her breath and stare into those endless sky blue orbs. Rei wanted him to know why she hated men; she told him every morning why they could never be together.

Rei and Connor weren't together. In fact, they didn't even sleep together, not in the way people would think. They were not friends with benefits (unless one considered switching off on who pays for lunch as benefits.) The two of them borrowed movies from one another, ate lunch together, and worked in the same office. She doubted he even found her attractive.

She looked at the clock. It read '3:21.' The rental movie repeated for the upteenth time, and the priestess started to memorize the lines. She wiggled and as always, she felt his body tense before he pulled her more tightly against him.

Rei felt her face heat up, and her heart started to beat much like a ceremonial drum. She wondered if the sleeping man could hear it. It sounded so loud to her, louder even then the movie on a loop. She bit her lip as he suddenly let go of her and sat up with a scowl.

Rei crossed her arms over chest, hoping it would not make her look like the blushing schoolgirl she felt she was.. "What's wrong, Connor?"

He stood and turned on the light by slapping at the switch on the wall. "I slept through the whole movie."

Rei arched one dark brow, studying the taut line of his back. Then she giggled and said, "Yes, and you were the one who rented it."

"And it wasn't even like I had a good dream as the reason," he moaned while glancing back at her from over one shoulder. There was a strange look upon his face. He looked...tired, and just a bit sad.

"I thought you said that I was like a good luck charm?" Sarcasm dripped like honey. Rei sat up, her eyes narrowed as she waited for his reply.

"Not when you're the subject of the dream," he whispered before he walked back over to the couch to stand in front of her.

Rei felt the heat in her face get hotter. With the light as it was and Connor standing where he was, it was clear that he hadn't been wearing a t-shirt beneath his dress shirt. A few of the bottom buttons had come undone, and she could see the contours of his flat stomach ripple with his every move. Rei found herself staring at his abdominal muscles, unsure whether her vision was true to life or a young woman's imagination gone wild.

Still, even so, she would never acknowledge that she was staring, much less that this moment had even occurred. No, admitting she was like a starving woman being offered a taste of the forbidden fruit by that slippery devil who'd tempted Eve could never happen.. No, temptation was the wrong word. It wasn't strong enough to convey what she felt as sat there staring at the handsome young man. It would have to suffice though. Giving in was clearly not an option. Not when it would leave scars on not only her soul, but his as well. "And why would I cause you such..."

"Annoyance?"

Rei didn't expect him to be forthcoming with his word choice. "Grievance?" Her word was no better.

He smiled, barely a second, then went back to scowling. "I had a dream that you..." he looked away from Rei. It was clear he was trying to think of some lie to tell her. That he was considering lying to her only reminded her of how tenuous their relationship,really was. Rei found herself saddened despite knowing that a lie would allow them both to save face. It didn't stop the flash of hurt. Or the wish that things could be different between them. Finally Conner dropped down to his knees in front of her and looked her in the eye before saying, "You would one day mean it when you say that you hate being held by me."

Lie or not, Rei found herself tensing. She didn't know how to respond. Tapping her fingers in aggravation upon the arm of the couch, she took a moment to gather her thoughts before she spoke. "A-and why would that bother you?" Not nearly as smooth as she'd imagined.

His expression didn't falter. No, that's wrong-he clearly saddened by what she said. "Take one guess..."

Rei looked away. She didn't need him catching a glimpse of what she was feeling at that moment. Not now. He leaned in close to her. Her heart raced and for a moment, she wanted to give into temptation but she gripped the couch's fabric, holding herself back. She tried to steady her heart, remember all the reasons for why they could never be. Rather than seeing Connor, she saw Dick Grayson and she caught her breath before backed into the back of the couch. Fear shot through her stomach and punched a hole into her heart.

Lifting one finger to his lips, she whispered, her voice shakier than she'd have liked, "Not right now." _But please don't listen... fight back._

He narrowed his eyes. "Why not?"

The question was understandable - even to Rei. He wasn't asking her for anything more than a kiss, something to confirm he wasn't wasting his time with her. Only she knew that he was. They could never be. No, they would never be. How could they be?

"It'll ruin everything," she finally told him.

A slow, warm smile graced his lips. Rei felt her own lips tremble when he moved closer and whispered something that sounded kind. However, her English, while flawless, could not quite translate what he said. Or maybe it was she understood him perfectly and merely sought obliviousness to avoid the pull of desire she felt percolating in her belly.

"You'll never know unless we try." Connor kissed the nape of her neck.

His lips moved up her neck. Rei's eyes dilated.Rei felt the lure of want, and her interest rising. Silently she told herself it was not wrong to want, to need. To love. Yet decades of hurts manifested into a slippery voice that taunted her about how the price could be higher than she was willing to pay. His lips trailed a path of fire along her throat, enflaming her senses.

_It's not wrong..._

Her body went limp at his touch - soft as pliable clay and as gentle as a summer breeze.

_I'm not doing anything wrong._

He kissed her lips, and an alarm went off in her soul.

She opened her eyes and saw her father standing there, his eyes a distant expression and his hands still at his sides.

"Rei-chan, I'm going to leave you with Ojisan."

Rei knew she wasn't there, but she could remember her father leaving her with her grandfather, promising to see her everyday and hardly coming once a year. The loneliness that she felt, waiting for him to ask for her to come home. Everyday, she waited. And everyday, she looked like a fool.

_Connor isn't my father! _

No, when she was with Conner, she felt safe. There was no one who could take him away from her. Connor wasn't going to leave her.

But even as he whispered English sweet nothings into her ear, trying to prove his love for her, trying to give reason for why they needed to be more than friends, all she saw was her father.

He kissed her lips once more and tears sleeked down her cheeks. The world around her fell away. She no longer saw or felt Conner.. To the side of her, she saw Usagi, her best friend and princess, the girl she'd promised to protect before history had even started to be written. To the left of her, there was Richard "Dick" Grayson. In front of her, her father stood.

"Is this why you left me?" She heard Dick ask. She turned and saw Barbara Gordon hanging off of him with her engagement ring from another man, Shining upon her finger like a beacon.

Rei's eyes narrowed. How dare he even talk about her leaving when he was still hooked on her.

"You left me so you could get it on with the six foot two freak?" Bitterness poured off his tongue.

Rei was about to respond when Barbara pushed her back and circled his waist with her arms, laughing malignantly.

A deeper voice spoke, a tone she'd recognize anywhere. Cold and calculating, a man who'd left his wife and daughter for his business.

"Rei-chan, you don't appreciate the nice things I've done for you." He threw money at her and then started hurling obscenities. Rei's hand clenched into a fist and she lashed out, but Barbara caught it. Rei was momentarily caught off-guard and found herself able to do nothing more than gape at the woman in silence.

"Don't you have any manners?"

Rei pulled her fist free and watched as Barbara moved from behind Dick, laughing as he pulled her into his lap.

"Rei-chan, I'll come and pick you up everyday."

She held her head, trying to get the voices to stop and everything went black. When she looked up, the world became familiar and there was Dick with his signature smile. She remembered the room and the day because the scent of roses had been so overpowering but the place had been beautiful.

She had been wearing white as she'd always been told that it most suited her, and he was wearing swimming shorts. It was the least romantic thing to wear in that moment, but she was sure he'd done it on purpose. Rei'd been so upset with his casual wear after having been asked to dress in something nice and meet him there.

But, she wasn't there... in the scene, no, it felt like she'd been watching it from far away. It felt so long ago.

"Miss Rei Hino.. will you mind being Miss Rei Hino Grayson?" She heard Dick say, a smile on his lips, a look in his eyes that she'd once believed in. Rei remembered having been so happy, but she'd been unable to say yes. Yet, he'd known what she wanted, what she needed to hear. He promised her forever, and back then, no one could've told her that her trust in him, in that pledge, would change.

No one had told her that Barbara would always be the wall between them. A wall she couldn't and wouldn't bother breaking down. It didn't seem possible that one day she'd be looking for a wedding venue and planning her escape from the world of the senshi to waking up crying, her heart shattered and the jagged edges of it tearing apart what was left of her soul. She'd begged the gods to tell her why. She'd pleaded for an answer for why being with him hurt more than... being without him.

_Connor isn't..._

"You're a liar, Rei-chan." The room turned back black and behind her, Usagi finally spoke. She looked so soft and angelic, her face so gentle, her thin body reminding Rei of her mother.

"Usagi?"

"You said that you'd always protect me..."

"Usagi, you're alive?" Rei moved closer to touch her face, but the girl moved away, her eyes embittered and her lips thinned into a hard line. "Wh-what's wrong?!"

"You abandoned me."

Rei's eyes widened and she reached for her wrist, not sure why but it seemed like the right thing to do. She stood up and grabbed her. "I could never do that."

"You promised me that you'll never.." Rei didn't even hear the sentence end. She knew what she was going to say. Sailor Mars, the flaming soldier of passion, promised to never fall in love. She would only be a soldier. Her job, a simple one: to always protect her princess. Usagi cried against Rei's shoulder, her entire body shaking. "You hate me, don't you?"

"Usagi, don't be stupid."

"You hate me. I know it."

"Usagi, stop saying that!"

"Rei-chan, I'm sorry. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry!" Usagi screamed, hoarsely, begging for forgiveness.

"Usagi!" Rei pulled her away from her so that she could look her in the eyes but shock overcame her. Blood dripped down Usagi's body, and she hadn't noticed it until now. Quickly, she pressed her hand onto her abdomen without thinking, trying to stop the bleeding but the gore squirted onto her face. "What happened to you?"

"You chose someone else."

"Usagi, no, I didn't!"

"You lied to me!"

"Usagi, not right now!... I need to stop this bleeding!" 

"Rei-chan, I'm already dead."

Rei's eyes widened and she felt tears falling. She couldn't stop them, no matter how fast she wiped them away, getting more blood on her face. "Usagi.. we're going to find a way..."

"You've forgotten me."

Rei came out of her trance and felt Connor holding her tight. She could feel every muscle in his body against her's, and it was wrong. He wasn't her father nor was he Dick Grayson, but she was Sailor Mars. She was a soldier. She could never fall in love. It didn't matter his kisses intoxicated her and her body hungered for his. She'd made a promise and even though she'd fulfilled her vow, she'd not fulfilled her promise.

_In the morning, I'll let him have it. I'll tell him how much I hate men._

She pushed away from him and pushed herself off the couch before calmly walking to her bedroom. Never turning back, she closed the door behind her and locked it.

_Connor deserves better._

No, caring for Connor was never the issue.

It'd be a whole lot easier if she stopped caring-about all of them.


End file.
